Monday, April 14, 2008

Quebecer goes after imam in the "human rights" ring

We here at CZ have a friend who wants to use the various Canadian "human rights" commissions to lay complaints against all manner of what he sees to be leftist and Islamist hate mongers. For example, he wants to take both antisemitic MAWO and certain promoters of the Koran to the human rights "court". We try to counsel that it is wrong to give credibility to a fundamentally flawed institution for the state regulation of political expression that has no place in a free society; and besides there isn't a chance that the "human rights" commissions will listen to complaints that risk throwing the whole elite-led victimary and multicultural project into disrepute. (We may one day need laws to restrict "political Islam", if there were a serious threat of sedition, but that would be another matter altogether, a recognition of a specific threat to democratic liberty and national security.) Still, I can't say I am completely miffed to see someone in Quebec attempting to take a local Islamist to the human rights commission. It may reveal the absurdity of the whole "human rights" world view and push more Canadians to reconsider on what basis a respect for universally-applied law and individual liberty can be sustained.

Today, I filed a complaint to the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) for "hate propaganda" against Montreal salafi imam Hammaad Abu Sulaiman Al-Dameus Hayiti who officiates at the Association Musulmane de Montréal Est mosque. The complaint relates to his book L'Islam ou l'Intégrisme ? À la lumière du Qor'an et de la Sounnah [Islam or fundamentalism? In the light of the Koran and the Sunna] downloadable from the Internet, and his extremist teachings that are also broadcast on the Internet.

The teachings of imam Al-Hayiti are supremacist, misogynistic and hateful. According to the imam, his fellow non-Muslims are "koufars" (unbelievers, infidels, impious), Québec women are perverse, and the population is "stupid and ignorant." The imam also calls for the destruction of the "idols" of the West: democracy, human rights, secularism, freedom and modernity. By disseminating his teachings on the Internet, the imam tries to win adherents to his extreme views.

The CHRC has launched an investigation against Maclean's and writer Mark Steyn for "hate propaganda" in relation to the publication by Maclean's of an article entitled "The Future belongs to Islam" (excerpts from Steyn's bestselling book "America Alone"). The investigation follows a complaint filed by the Canadian Islamic Congress and four Toronto Muslim law students. This initiative is an attempt at censorship and an attack on freedom of the press, for which the CHRC acts as an enabler.

If the CHRC refuse to investigate my complaint, the public will be free to conclude that an institution meant to promote human rights is practicing a form of one-way absurd censorship. As a result, legitimate criticism of Islam is discouraged, while those who advocate the destruction of democracy and freedoms are protected. If the CHRC agrees to open an investigation, the writings of the imam will be exposed and scrutinized and, hopefully, discredited by the media. In the future, the media and the public will feel free to denounce subversive and hateful preachers without having to resort to the CHRC.

Marc Lebuis,Director, Point de BASCULEwww.pointdebasculecanada.ca

As the French-language text makes clear, M. Lebuis is not actually in favor of the "human rights" commission process at all, and his complaint intends to throw it into disrepute:

At first glance, it may appear paradoxical that a fervent defender of freedom of expression would lay a complaint to stop a salafi imam from expressing himself. I agree. In fact, my goal is to provoke a debate on freedom of expression and bring the public and media to denounce the new role of "blasphemy censors" given to the human rights commissions"

This worrying trend, both internationally and nationally, must be reversed now before it is too late. It's the survival of democracy and freedom that is at stake. Nothing less!

Meanwhile, local blogger Robert Jago reports that he has already tried to lay a human rights complaint against a Vancouver based Jihadi website, in particular a post that seemed to advocate killing kuffar. He received no response from the Canadian Human Rights Commission to his letter of complaint.

So the betting is on, does a French Canadian at this point in time have a better shot at a reply from the kings and queens of victimary politics than did poor old Jago?